---Team Falken Tire scored an unlikely GT class victory in Saturday's Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge, benefiting from a heavy late-race downpour that resulted in the two-hour and 45-minute race ending under the red flag.
The No. 17 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR of Wolf Henzler restarted in sixth on the final restart with 22 minutes to go and made the drive of the race through the highly competitive field in the matter of a single lap.
The German Porsche factory driver fended off spinning cars in the extremely slick conditions, passing a dozen cars through traffic, including the class-leading Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche of Patrick Long on the front straight. Moments later, Long spun off-course at the Keyhole, which brought out the final caution and led to only the third-ever red flag in series' history with 10 minutes to go.
With sections of the 2.25-mile circuit flooded, IMSA was unable to restart the race, giving Henzler and Sellers a surprise GT class victory and first for the Derrick Walker-led Falken squad.
"When the race went back to green, going down the back stretch, I saw nothing," Henzler said. "There was so much water and I couldn't even see the cars ahead. I just guessed where they were. When they changed lines, I managed to see a little bit... I knew the 45 [car] was the leader... and then I passed him."
Sellers, who earned his first career victory, knew their Falken-shod Porsche could have played a factor if the expected rains arrived, given the strength of the Japanese brand's wet-weather tire.
The rains indeed came, and in colossal proportions. It was enough to give Porsche its first GT victory of the year in Le Mans competition worldwide.
"The rain tire was fantastic, no question about it. But I think it was definitely worth noting my co-driver drove an unbelievable couple of laps," Sellers said. "It was probably the most impressive couple of laps I've ever seen. I think Falken deserves a lot of credit, but Wolf deserves a lot as well. I'm happy to be part of the program and to get my first win with Wolf."
The No. 4 Corvette Racing C6.R of Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen survived for a runner-up finish in class despite a late-race spin by Gavin in the adverse conditions. Teammate Tommy Milner was in a podium-scoring position as well but looped his Corvette twice and had to settle for sixth.
Championship leaders Joey Hand and Dirk Muller came home third in their No. 56 BMW M3 GT after a trouble-filled race, which included a mid-race collision with the sister No. 55 BMW Team RLL machine of Dirk Werner and a late-race scuffle with the Jaime Melo-driven No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari.
The Ferrari, which initially gambled on slicks during the downpour, dropped out with suspension damage as a result from contact with the BMW.
Muscle Milk AMR celebrated its third LMP1 victory of the season, with Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr taking their Lola-Aston Martin to a comfortable win over the No. 16 Dyson Racing Lola B09/86 Mazda of Chris Dyson and Guy Smith in second.
The move of the race came following the first restart with one hour and 25 minutes complete, when Luhr managed to get around Smith for the overall lead. Both contending prototypes made their final scheduled stops with under an hour remaining, only to pit a few laps later for wet-weather tires.
"Right after my pit stop when I came out, I saw sprinkles," Graf explained. "It started in Turn 2 at the Keyhole and I thought it wasn't too bad... Before we came in for rain tires, it was really hard to keep the car on the road. Cars were spinning left and right. So it was really about using the experience I've had from many years of racing. In days like this, it pays off."
Dyson's Lola-Mazda of Smith and co-driver Chris Dyson had led from the pole before the mid-race change for the lead. The LMP1 championship-leading squad, however, suffered mixed fortunes as its sister No. 20 machine of Humaid al Masaood crashed out early.
Intersport Racing scored its first-ever LMPC victory, with Kyle Marcelli and Tomy Drissi leading a 1-2 finish for the local Dublin, Ohio-based squad.
Overcoming two early-race penalties, which put the No. 89 Oreca FLM09 a lap behind, Marcelli made up the time in the dry and came within striking distance of the lead when the rains came.
But it was teammate Jon Field in the No. 37 car that Marcelli was forced to overtake. The 21-year-old enjoyed a spirited battle with one of racing's most flat-out drivers and managed to take the class lead just two laps before the final caution.
"When I got in the car, we put our heads down and I think we set some pretty quick times moving up through the field," Marcelli said. "In all honesty, gaining that lap back [was important] and then the rain came. A few laps later I took the lead and that was it."
The win was both Marcelli and Drissi's first in ALMS competition and also continues a successful stretch of racing for the Canadian, who earned a class victory at the Six Hours of Imola in July.
Jon Field and son Clint came home second in LMPC. It was no doubt a good day for the Fields, as their IMSA Prototype Lites car also won on Saturday.
The No. 52 PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports machine of David Cheng and Javier Echeverria completed the class podium in third after both of the championship-leading CORE autosport entries hit trouble.
In GTC, TRG walked away with its third consecutive class victory, thanks to a dominant performance by the No. 66 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car of Duncan Ende and Spencer Pumpelly in both the dry and wet.
Ende took over the lead early and flawless strategy by the Kevin Bucker-led squad paid off with another class victory. Their only creditable challenge came from the No. 77 Magnus Racing Porsche of Craig Stanton, which suffered a late-race spin in the rain while battling for the lead.
It promoted the No. 54 Black Swan Racing Porsche of Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen to second, with Stanton and co-driver John Potter recovering for a podium finish in third.
